Abstract

An investigation was conducted at seven North Carolina nurseries to evaluate the possibility that container substrates serve as weed infestation sources. Container substrate treatments consisted of sand/pasteurized bark, bark/pasteurized sand, pasteurized bark/pasteurized sand, and bark/sand. No differences were observed between numbers of weed seedlings found in the four substrate combinations. Differences were observed across nursery sites and the nursery by date interactions. Five weed species most frequently observed were yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta L.), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta L.), common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris L.), spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata L.), and mouseear chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum L.).